FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE STERLING SWAN PRESS RELEASES A NEW BOOK: “PASSPORT TO THE FUTURE: THE AMAZING LIFE AND MUSIC OF ELECTRONIC POP MUSIC PIONEER JEAN-JACQUES PERREy” By Dana Countryman Details: Published by Sterling Swan Press $19.95 US Softbound ISBN-13: 978-1453865873 312 pages, 281 photos 6” X 9” Available on Amazon.com, in bookstores Sterling Swan Press has just published a biography of one of the electronic music’s first pioneers, Jean-Jacques Perrey. You might not know the name “Jean-Jacques Perrey”, but chances are that you have heard his music. It’s been everywhere: on commercials, in cartoons, and Top 40 hits. It’s been sampled by over 70 hip-hop artists including Ice T, Dr. Dre and A Tribe Named Quest. Even the Beatles sampled his music. Just this year, his music was recently used in an episode of “South Park”, and in a television commercial for NFL Fantasy Football. For nearly 40 years his “Baroque Hoedown” tune (with Gershon Kingsley) has been featured in Disneyland’s much-loved “Main Street Electrical Parade.” The new biography chronicles Perrey’s musical transformation from being just another young accordion player in France, to eventually becoming one of the very first to create electronic pop music. In the ‘60s, Perrey recorded four albums for anguardV Records, which are now considered electronic pop masterpieces. Long before computers and digital technology, Perrey devised an his own ingenious method of “sampling and sequencing.” When Perrey recorded “Flight of the Bumblebee,” he didn’t just do it the usual way. His version was created by recording the sounds of live bumblebees in their hive to create the frenetic classical theme. Using nothing but a simple razor blade and Scotch tape, Perrey cut the recorded bee sounds into hundreds of pieces. He then hand-spliced each bit of tape into a carefully planned sequence, with the classic melody being “sung” by hundreds of buzzing bees! This feat took over 72 hours for Perrey to assemble just the melody line. The effect was (and still is) astonishing. “Passport to the Future” documents Perrey’s life, and tells more about his musical adventures, including rubbing shoulders with famous artists, such as Salvador Dali, Walt Disney, Alfred Hitchcock and many more. Much later in his life, when other musicians his age were retiring, Perrey found his career reborn at age 67, and he suddenly became in great demand for lectures and concerts. At age 68, Perrey (paired up with Fatboy Slim) had a Number One hit record with his tune “E.V.A.” Today, at age 82, Perrey is still creating his unique brand of electro-pop and just released “Froots,” his 23rd album. “Passport To The Future” is available on Amazon.com, and in finer bookstores. Visit the dedicated book web site for more info, including hi-res photos, book excerpts, and a link to purchase the book online: http://www.passport-to-the-future.com To arrange an interview with Jean-Jacques Perrey, or author Dana Countryman, please contact: [email protected] ###.